It all had to start somewhere, and it all started with the original five. Consider them the Beatles of the X-Men teams, but they were the first, and arguably the best. Every other incarnation of the X-Men comes directly from them. No wonder they're still heavily featured in big storylines and crossovers. They're just that damn important. Maybe not the most powerful, or most recognizable, but definitely the fore-bearers of everything else that came after them.

I just had to include the Age of Apocalypse X-Men in here. That event was the hottest thing going in '95, and the roster was definitely the total opposite of what you'd expect.

Cyclops and Havok were evil....well Havok was.
Wolverine and Jean Grey were doing their own thing.
The Beast was evil, while Angel was content to work as a bar owner.

So that left you these guys, and what team they were, especially with the firepower they were packing with Magneto included in the mix.

Of course what sold it for me, was the Joe Maduriera Astonishing X-Men book with Rogue, Morph, Sabertooth, and especially Blink. She's still as cute as ever to me, and another selling point of the book for me. Plus with her unfortunate death during the Phalanx Covenant, it was nice to finally see her on an X-Team. Even if it wasn't the main universe version.3).

X-Men Cartoon Team( Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey, and Prof. X)
How could not love this roster, if nothing else for the sheer nostalgia factor. It combined the best of both teams at the time(minus Colossus, Archangel and Iceman) and no doubt influenced millions of kids to pick up some X-Men comics if they hadn't already to see the print version of the X-men.
While it did rely on mostly adapting old storylines from said comics(The Dark Phoenix Saga), they were handled in the best possible way at the time, as well as to spark interest in where these events originated from.
Alone with Spider-Man, it was the best cartoon show in Fox not named Batman, and for that I and countless others will always be grateful.2).

X-Men: Blue Team (Cyclops, Wolverine, Psylocke, Rogue, Gambit, Beast, and Jubilee)
My favorite team during the early and mid-90's, the Blue team, at least to me, had the best roster of the 90's, but also the better stories and storylines compared to the Gold team. Omega Red, the returns of Longshot and Dazzler and Mojoworld, and everything else that followed. For my money, they were the best team of X-Men during the 90's. They just simply that damn good.1).

The Classic New X-Men (Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Banshee, and Phoenix)
To me, this is my favorite and quintessential X-Men team of all-time(especially when you throw in Shadowcat)

Just look at that roster and the sheer, raw power of them. If Wolverine doesn't shred you to pieces, Colossus will crush you; If Nightcrawler doesn't bamf around, punching the shit out of you, Banshee will make you go deaf and dumb; If Storm doesn't fry or freeze you, Cyclops will blast the fuck out of you with his ruby red beams of force. And Phoenix......well, I highly recommend you don't ever piss her off, unless you want to end up like Mastermind.

Simply put, one of the most powerful line-ups of X-Men ever. Not to mention iconic.
There's a reason every so many years, they all wind up in some form as this, death aside.

13 comments:

Top X-Teams of all? Blimey that's tough :) after reading King's site I'm using that everywhere!

Nice picks mr - if you get two bracelets and bang them together turning into Quasar I'll steal them off you, you know that don't you? Unless they are the Quantum and Woody kind, then we draw straws.

Sooooo many great teams to chose from! My top X-Teams are:

5) Factor X from Age Of Apocalypse. Written by Peter David I absolutely loved the bejeebers out of this book in ways only 60 minutes could cover. Havok as a bad ass, beast as a twisted genetic engineer, Northstar and Aurora as emotionless sadists, and soldier boy Cyclops broken by the renegade Jean, it took so many great characters and really made them shine. Not as heroes all that much, but piff who sweats the details.

4) Days of Future Past (Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat and Wolverine) I always like small not to powerful line-ups as it reminds me of the 4 and the West Coast Avengers. It also makes it harder for them to win. I really liked this pick as it played up Ororo and Logan's friendship. To me that and her relationship with Jean is the true heart of the X-Men and it was nice to see it focused on here. A Wolverine without youth and just feisty was pretty cool too.

3) Rogue's X-Men (Rouge, Iceman, Cannonball, Mystique, Sabretooth, Omega-Sentinel, Lady Mastermind, and Cable). This run really needs to get more respect in the hindsight mirror than it does. The X-Books were pretty repetitive before this, but Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo mixed great plots with a mix of good evil and on the fence characters that blew me away. Mystique dating Bobby, Cable and Creed, it really was brilliant picking all round.

2) Alpha Flight (Puck, Aurora, Vindicator, Sasquatch, Shaman, Marina, Snowbird, Northstar, Guardian) Can I cheekily squeeze this one in here? I think John Byrne did a fantastic job with this, creating characters that visually got you like Sasquatch and Puck and mixed them with the square jawed favourites. The twins in matching uniforms, the love triangle and shady gvt cool all in one maple leaf coloured bag of awesome.

1) While I can't believe Generation X Didn't make my list or my fav X-Force because I couldn't a line-up where Cable was on the team I completely dug, X-Men Gold is the team where I most thought 'Wow, Marvel Made this book just for me!' Archangel, Storm, Jean and Colossus were my top X'ers at the time, and had the book also had Nightcrawler iI'd still be doing my Shawshank Redemption letter a day campaign to get it restored now.

Good list... Ugh, that 90's cartoon. I liked it at the time, but not THAT much. I remember my brothers and I would complain about it all the time. Still always watched it, though.Props for the Age Of Apocalypse love...

For me: I like the Pryde of The X-Men team: Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, and The Dazzler. That's what's up!

I also like the 2099 team. But that's kinda cheating- it's all different characters not related to the X-Men at all.

Dude, based off of your suggestion for redoing the text in some comic panels- I just "made" the weirdest fucking 6 page comic... I can't stop laughing at it. HOPEFULLY, it's not just me. I'ma post it this Monday. So make sure you check out The Fuck-Off Crew! And thanks for seeding that idea!

Factor X. Wow. Well it's good to know they have one fan;)It wasn't bad for the time, and yeah, very interesting mix on that roster. I did enjoy the way they presented Pyro. Poor bastard was in agony every time he used his powers thanks to the Beasts' experiments. Very cool twist I thought.

Never really dug Alpha Flight myself. But I never hated on em' or disliked them to the point I'd kill em off every few years like certain Marvel writers seem to enjoy doing( Cough cough BENDIS cough)

and the DoFP line-up. wow, go Dan. I get your logic behind that one, as that's not a bad combo. But too-few players for me, and it's always sad and depressing to see that particular paring due to the horrific deaths they're always destined to undergo.

I kinda' liked the Gold team, but they lacked true star power outside of Storm, Colossus and Jean Grey. Iceman and Archangel were sturdy additions, but it wasn't until Bishop came aboard(God, how long was Sunfire a member, like all of 5 minutes?)that the team really started to take shape. You have a very good point about Nightcrawler's addition to the team. had he and Shadowcat been able to join, then the Blue Team really would've had serious competition.

Idk about you, but young me loved playing fantasy team line-ups, and that's what helped make it so enjoyable to read.

Thanks for stopping by and revealing your picks Dan. Very interesting to see other people's picks for top faves.

@Tiger: Aw c'mon brother, you know you have at least a top 3 in you;)Take your time; I'll wait:)

@King: Nice pics yourself man. How I left out the Outback team I'll never know, but they were damn cool for that era. Fuck, still are.

Oh Pryde of the X-Men. Good pick as well! Now see, only true fans would even remember that cartoon, or the fact that Cyclops has the same voice as Duke from GI JOE, or that they made Wolvie ans Aussie. Weird I tell ya'.

I can't wait to see it man, and you're very welcome. I'm sure we'll all benefit from seeing that one:)

I could never get into the x Men again after the Dark Phoenix saga...too complicated and too many members and for me anyway the LSH and FF were always too deserving of my time.Only two X teams ever grabbed my attention for any length of time ...the original five X-Men, and the new original X-Men that replaced them.The originals were exactly powerful but as you said did set the template for all the rest that came afterwards. They seemed like a proper 'class' of schoolkid superheroes.Their replacememts later in the 70s were just as good, wild, argumentative and their stories were out of this world. The Phoenix saga and Days of Future Past cememted their reputations. These were the only two X teams I ever really followed.Hey good luck with that comic-con this upcoming weekend, what capacity are you there as? Have you produced your own stuff to show there?Those Lance Armstrong bracelets must be selling well. I hear hes got a new girlfriend. Im sure they'll be very happy - well, unless she gets up in the middle of the night to take a piss, that is.

Looking forward to seeing the skit King! Pryde of the X-Men! Astonishing X-Men was great! It showed Claremont wasn't the only guy who could write Kitty well and it brought Peter back.

The Outback Team would've been on mine too, esp for putting Storm, Havok and Colossus together. It was awesome having a comic team actually come this far south, the rebel stance they took as opposed to X-Factor, but I winced in panels were it showed us downunder people written by Americans writing accents they learnt off Crocodile Dundee reruns and watching The Bushwackers on WWF. Still was nice they tried I guess.

Yeah I like my underdogs, I've always been that person. I LOVE the original Grant Morrison JLA - that's one A line-up you really can't fault and the Four of course. The All-New X-Men were awes, but with it's international line-up I always felt that's what the Avengers should be. It's hard picturing them as "Earth's Mightiest" when they're all Americans.

@Karl: I'll be featured as a member of the Grindhorse group, so I guess that makes me like one of the Beatles of the con I guess. I want to be Paul, but I'll probably be George;)I'm planning on bringing my camera, and I know someone's bound to snap some picks, to prove I haven't made any of this up;)

Hey, those bracelets are waaaay cooler than they have a right to be. They even have the Batman Forever font on 'em. Fuck Lance Asstrong and his cheating one nut!

@Dan: You said Bushwhackers!!!! Ehhhhhhhh! Ooooooooohhhhh!!!!!

I knew there was a reason I liked you;)

Morrison's JLA was the shizz. It really was like a classic rock band getting back together to show the kids how its done. Plus he just does modern Silver Age stories like no one's business outside of Waid and Busiek.

I'll gladly cop to not growing up either, so I guess we're starting that supposed-to-be-grown-up-but not-really club after all.

I guess King can supply the club brownies/cookies, while Karl "watches" the door. And when I say watch, I mean he'll probably just wind up buggering the keyhole. Hey, he likes em' tight, what can I say. Isn't that right karl?:)

@ Dan: G'day mate, crikey! -You mean that's not legit? MY ENTIRE LIFE IS A LIE! WOLVERINE, YOU BASTARD!It's cool, I liked Factor-X too!I loved The Bushwhackers too, when I was a kid... As an adult however- they annoy me to no end. Ain't that the way of things? EXCEPT...

@Dale: ...Pryde of The X-Men. That was my introduction to them back in the day. And it holds up! I re-watch it every year or so... I was always mad at the 90's cartoon for NOT being that one continued. And now "Kitty" came out- so it's Pride of The X-Men! She can be every girl's girlfriend now. -It's a wonderful thing.

@King: Funny you should mention Qualudes, 'cause at the con yesterday, the Grindhorse table was in the middle of the elks lodge where the event was held, and over a table hung a big disco ball. I told 'em all we need know is some hookers and blow, and for the vents to drop some 'ludes. Great minds king, great minds;)

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I have a slightly sick sense of humor, but most everybody who's a friend and on my blog, seem to enjoy it. I collect(well play catch up now since the line ended) DCUC and sometimes Marvel Legends action figures, sometimes current comics, but mostly back-issue stuff.